Intravitreal bevacizumab for delayed radiation maculopathy and papillopathy after irradiation for maxillary sinus cancer

Miki Gondo1, Tsutomu Sakai1, Hiroshi Tsuneoka1, Chihiro Kanehira21Department of Ophthalmology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 2Division of Radiology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JapanBackground: The evaluation of intravitreal bevacizumab treatment for delayed radiation maculopathy and papillopathy after irradiation for maxillary sinus cancer.Case report: A patient with radiation maculopathy and papillopathy was treated with intravitreal bevacizumab (1.25 mg). Main outcome measures included fundus photography, angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Two weeks after intravitreal bevacizumab, visual acuity improved from 0.4 to 1.2. Fundus examination revealed decreased disc swelling, peripapillary hemorrhage, and macular edema. OCT demonstrated complete resolution of serous retinal detachment. At the 12-month follow-up, there was no exudation recurrence. No ocular or systemic side effects were observed.Conclusion: Intravitreal bevacizumab can be used to treat radiation maculopathy and papillopathy. Antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy may decrease tissue injury associated with radiation vasculopathy.Keywords: bevacizumab, radiation, maculopathy, papillopath

N-Glycosylation plays a role in protein folding of human UGT1A9

金沢大学医薬保健研究域薬学系UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) catalyze the glucuronidation of a variety of xeno/endobiotics. UGTs are type I membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with a glycosylated luminal domain. In the present study, we investigated the role of N-glycosylation in the function of human UGT1A9. Mutation analysis at the potential N-glycosylation sites at residues 71, 292, and 344 (from asparagine to glutamine) revealed that all of them were glycosylated, but the extent of glycosylation and/or size of the glycan differed. In comparison with the wild-type, these mutants showed decreased enzyme activities in parallel with the extent of the band shift in Western blot analysis. To evaluate the role of glycosylation in the enzyme activity, we produced unglycosylated UGT1A9 by treating HEK293 cells transiently transfected with expression plasmid with tunicamycin. The unglycosylated UGT1A9 was almost inactive, which was not an indirect effect of ER stress. To the contrary, the deglycosylated UGT1A9, which was produced by the treatment with Endo H under the non-denaturing condition, showed the same enzyme kinetics as the control. These results suggest that the glycosylation that occurs during translation is important for the folding of UGT1A9. The thermal stability analysis of the mutated and deglycosylated UGT1A9 proteins supported the findings. In conclusion, we found that the N-glycosylation has an important role in the folding of UGT1A9. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

CYP2A13 expressed in human bladder metabolically activates 4-aminobiphenyl

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科機能分子医薬学金沢大学薬学部authorCigarette smoking is the predominant risk factor for bladder cancer. Aromatic amines such as 4-aminobiphenyl (ABP) is the major carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. Although it is generally accepted that ABP is metabolically activated via N-hydroxylation by CYP1A2 in human liver, previous studies using Cyp1a2-null mice indicated the involvement of other enzyme(s). Here we found that CYP2A13 can metabolically activate ABP to show genotoxicity by Umu assay. The Km and Vmax values for ABP N-hydroxylation by recombinant CYP2A13 in E. coli were 38.5 ± 0.6 μM 7.8 ± 0.0 pmol/min/pmol CYP, respectively. The Km and Vmax values by recombinant CYP1A2 were 9.9 ± 0.9 μM and 39.6 ± 0.9 pmol/min/ pmol CYP, respectively, showing 20-fold higher intrinsic clearance than CYP2A13. In human bladder, CYP2A13 mRNA, but not CYP1A2, is expressed at a relatively high level. Human bladder microsomes showed ABP N-hydroxylase activity (K m = 34.9 ± 4.7 μM and Vmax = 57.5 ± 1.9 pmol/min/mg protein), although the intrinsic clearance was 5-fold lower than that in human liver microsomes (Km = 33.2 ± 2.0 μM and Vmax = 293.9 ± 5.8 pmol/min/mg protein). The activity in human bladder microsomes was prominently inhibited by 8-methoxypsoralen, but not by fluvoxamine, anti-CYP1A2 or anti-CYP2A6 antibodies

Bronchial thermoplasty for severe asthma

Despite the relatively short follow-up period in our previous study, we had reported that increased cough reflex sensitivity (CRS) may predict the efficacy of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) for treating asthma. Herein, we examined whether CRS predicts the efficacy of BT 2 years after the final BT treatment. We also investigated the influence of BT on CRS. We reviewed 10 patients 2 years after their final BT treatment. CRS, asthma-related symptoms, asthma exacerbations, and cough-related quality of life were assessed at baseline and 2 years after BT. Five patients responded positively to BT (BT responders) and their asthma control improved. No significant difference in CRS at baseline was detected between the BT responders and nonresponders. In contrast, BT responders exhibited significant improvements in CRS 2 years after BT. CRS at baseline could not predict the BT efficacy after 2 years. This is the first report demonstrating BT desensitized CRS in consecutive case series

Handling of Germline Findings in Clinical Comprehensive Cancer Genomic Profiling

Patients found to have presumed germline pathogenic variants (PGPVs) during comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) require genetic counseling (GC) referrals. We retrospectively investigated the outcomes of patients with PGPVs. Among 159 patients who underwent CGP, we recommended GC for the 16 patients with PGPVs (3 with [FG group] and 13 without [G Group] a family/personal history of hereditary cancer) as well as for the 8 patients with no PGPVs, but a history (F group); 2 (67%), 5 (38%), and 3 (38%) patients received GC in the FG, G, and F groups, respectively. Germline testing results were positive in 1 and 2 patients of the FG and G groups, respectively. Among the patients recommended for GC, 58% did not receive GC due to lack of interest, poor performance status, or death. CGP contributes to the identification of germline variants in patients without a history of hereditary cancer. However, the proportion of patients who undergo GC should be improved

A combination of a DNA-chimera siRNA against PLK-1 and zoledronic acid suppresses the growth of malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro.

Although novel agents effective against malignant mesothelioma (MM) have been developed, the prognosis of patients with MM is still poor. We generated a DNA-chimeric siRNA against polo-like kinase-1 (PLK-1), which was more stable in human serum than the non-chimeric siRNA. The chimeric PLK-1 siRNA inhibited MM cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis. Next, we investigated the effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on MM cells, and found that ZOL also induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, ZOL augmented the inhibitory effects of the PLK-1 siRNA. In conclusion, combining a PLK-1 siRNA with ZOL treatment is an attractive strategy against MM